Hpt 8/31

[jkopp]

Q:
Wheeler 1:47.338
Gray 1:47.469
Watkins 1:47.532
Kopp 1:50.073
Tucker 1:50.084
White 1:50.295
Johnson 1:50.998
Davie 1:51.777
Lechner 1:52.303
Brown 1:52.973
Volkamer 1:53.581
Ruggiero 2:02.214

R:
Gray 1:49.354
Watkins 1:48.871
Tucker 1:51.798
Davie 1:52.154
White 1:52.828
Lechner 1:54.139
Johnson 1:55.170
Volkamer 1:55.499
Brown 1:54.377
Kopp 1:54.677
Ruggiero DNF 2:05.434 6 laps ???
Wheeler DNF 1:50.195 4 laps - Broken rocker arm

My agenda for the weekend was to get the finish and start I need to make the Runoffs. Today was "finish day". I only ran a few laps in qualifying and elected to start dead last on the grid for the race. Ted was in the same boat as me and we hooked up early in the race with me following him. We putted around dodging spins and spills and I pulled off after lap 10 with my car still in one piece and hopefully ready for the start I need tomorrow. Brown was behind us doing what I believe was pretty much the same thing. Ted stayed out until the checker and got a respectable 7th for nothing more than being careful and running for the "big picture".

Tomorrow is a different story. Once I get across the s/f line I'm all good and it's time to have fun! We'll see how that goes.

Friday was a major bummer day because my boss and good friend put his 2008 T1 Vette into the wall on drivers left coming out of 10 head-on while testing. The car is mostly a writeoff but the main thing is that he is ok. We're still not sure what happened but something in the rear of the car might have broke or maybe a tire issue. We got the car back to the shop pretty quick Friday while he was getting checked out at the hospital to be safe and I didn't get a good look at it. I'm not sure I want to see what the data says he was doing for speed or impact G's but we did have the logger running. Bad, bad deal.

Last thing - we missed you Chris. It was nice talking to you this afternoon. I can't believe with as jacked up as you are that you are sitting there thinking of us and racing. You really are being missed this weekend. I'll be amazed if you make it to the RO's as a driver but if anybody can it's you. You've got a spirit like no other.

More fun tomorrow!

-Kopp